“Take Any Team In The League And You Take Your Top 2 Corners Out… “

September 15th, 2018

Talks tone-setters, corners and DeSean Jackson Year 2.

Buccaneers commander Dirk Koetter was talking quite a bit last night and Joe has highlights.

Already, Joe has shared Koetter’s take that Nick Foles is the Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Eagles. But there was plenty more.

Below are direct quotes from Koetter’s interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio”

On DeSean Jackson success in Year 2

“I think just mainly we gave him a chance to make plays. DeSean, he got behind the defense a few times in 2017. And or one reason or another we didn’t get the ball to him. DeSean has come back since training camp started, put the time in with all three of our quarterbacks. He’s done a good job leading the receiver group along with Mike Evans and he’s practiced hard. He’s done a good job of making plays in practice. And I don’t know; call me old school. I just believe when you’re making plays in practice a lot of times it carries over to the games.”

On compensating for the loss of Vernon Hargreaves: 

“Take any team in the league and you take their top two corners out that’s (laughs), that’s testing your depth right off the bat. So our two roookies, Carlton Davis and M.J. Stewart, they’re going to be thrown right into the fire even more so than we were planning to use them, along with Ryan Smith. He’ll be another guy that’s going to be called on. Hopefully we get Brent Grimes back here pretty quick. Once the season starts and you’ve got your initial 53 guys, it’s not the cavalry is coming to save you. I mean your guys are your guys. We have confidence in our guys, but there’ll be some growing pains along the way just like there was last Sunday, when those young guys had to go up against Drew Brees.”

On Beau Allen, Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul:

“They’ve all done an excellent job of sharing their [Super Bowl] experiences with our guys. And they’ve all come in and really worked hard and set the tone in practice. You know guys that set the tone in practice and practice hard, that makes it where everybody else wants to keep up. We have other guys that do that, too. Just the fact that those guys as new additions to our team have done that, we’ve been really pleased with all three of those guys.”

26 Responses to ““Take Any Team In The League And You Take Your Top 2 Corners Out… “”

  1. Blogtalkfootball.com Says:

    I hope we see a maturing of the rookie corners sooner rather than later. The good thing is that Foles will have to choose between the corners to target and it may slow him down just long enough for our Dline to get to him.

    It will definitely be a challenge, because the Eagle Offensive line is no slouch. The Bucs will have to exert their will on them early and often to tire them out. The rotation on defense will have to be early, because otherwise, the 4th quarter will look like Brees came to Tampa for a rematch.

    #TheWinningMustContinue
    #GoBucs

  2. i like gunslingers Says:

    get that big powder puff vea off his ass and get him to work, 12th pick slouching non practicing my calf got a boo boo mofo

  3. Darin Says:

    Lets see how Smitty has “developed” these rookie corners Joe. My guess is if he plays press more he developed them better than if he plays a soft quarters all game.

  4. Defense Rules Says:

    @i Like gunslingers … “get that big powder puff vea off his ass and get him to work, 12th pick slouching non practicing my calf got a boo boo mofo.” Just a suggestion … you might want to read what you’ve typed BEFORE you hit ‘SUBMIT COMMENT’. Most JBFers appreciate informed opinions. What in heavens’ name would lead you to believe that Vita Vea is a ‘powder puff’ or that he’s ‘slouching’ or that his injured calf is nothing more than a ‘boo boo’? None of us know what REALLY wrong with Vita, or how long he’ll be sidelined, but I’d venture to say that almost all JBFers want him in the lineup, but not until he’s truly healthy. I’d also venture to say that no one wants to get onto that field more than he does right now.

    Watching the few clips of our DLine playing against the Saints that I’ve been able to find leads me to believe that Jerel Worthy is an excellent find. Little on the smallish side, but high energy & plays big. Have a hunch that he’ll stick because I can’t see Mitch Unrein unseating him even if he does make it back from that extended concussion protocol (too risky to let Worthy go mid-season if he’s been playing at a high level, considering that 31-year-old Unrein is at very high-risk now for more concussions). Interesting too that both Gholston & Worthy played at Michigan State at the same time.

  5. Steve in Mad Beach Says:

    The rookie corners have gone against the best WR group in the league every day in practice and held there own!

    Let them play some press!

    My guess, and hope, is that as they get used to NFL game speed here over the 1st few weeks, they’ll turn out to be good corners.

    I have no faith in Ryan Smith. I like his hustle but the dude can’t cover a to go box!

    Hopefully Grimes can get and stay healthy. With Grimes, Davis, and Stewart in nickel, I think we’ll do fine.

  6. PSLBob Says:

    Hoping the heat and humidity will wear down that Philly O-line and be an advantage for our D-line.

  7. Not there yet Says:

    GMC was invisible last week and everyone is afraid to say it, outside of a couple decent rushes his name was not called. will be the same guy he’s been since he’s drafted or will he take over a game from start to finish for the first time in his career? If this defense sucks the whole year it’s time to get it off all the old players and start over. That way we have keep our core offensive guys

  8. Gene Deckehoff is my hero Says:

    Sure would be nice to have Derwin James jr.. that missed pick forever turned me against Licht and Koetter needs be cut… Cut Koetter Lichts Out! They gave up 40 points last week. How many this week?

  9. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    How is Jackson better in year 2?

    There’s been one game! It’s a bit early to make that assumption. Wait until he faces a real defence and h8s fear of getting hit kicks in.

  10. Buc1987 Says:

    Nick Foles is no Drew Brees.

    It should be slightly easier…..then again. This is the Bucs.

    Don’t care about what Foles did against past Bucs defenders…it’s a new day.

    It’s at home for criminently. Oh wait.

  11. Reach87 Says:

    You said it for everyone…he got a few nice pass rushes (and a TFL). Who on the DL did more? Funny. Go Bucs!

  12. Buc1987 Says:

    Gene Deckehoff is my hero….so the peeps that brought you the peeps that put 48 on the board for the Bucs…..

    You want those peeps gone? Koetter and Licht?

    This fan base is nuts…

    Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!, Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!, Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!, Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!, Touchdown Tampa Bay!!!!..O…h no he dropped it! – Gene Deckerhoff

    I love em too but….

  13. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Wow.

    I just watched the Rams vs Raiders game.

    Almost two minutes on the clock. Down by 20. No chance of coming back to win.

    Now, there is no way Koetter and Winston would give up. They would at least try to score one more time.

    But Jon Gruden? He totally bailed on his QB and ran the ball multiple times to run the clock down, and then finally threw a couple passes when it was too late to do anything with them (11 secs on clock).

    Man, Gruden totally sucks. He;s going to turn on Carr with a few games, watch and see.

  14. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    /signed Buc1987

  15. PSLBob Says:

    Buc1987 – I have to listen to most games on the radio. Deckerhoff has been a great announcer, but he’s dropped a couple of sprockets from the main gear over the years. I think it’s time for him to hang it up. He messes things up every game and Dave Moore has to correct him. During last week’s game, he kept calling Ryan Jensen – Ryan Jennings. When there’s a run, his voice goes up 3 octaves and you’d think the player just broke off for 15 yards, and then he’ll say he was able to pick up 2. It’s almost unbearable. I don’t know how may times he misidentifies the name of the person making a play. Do I think I could do better – NO!, but then I’m not making the big bucks either.

  16. Trench War Says:

    I think I will visit JBF less frequently for awhile until Joe fixes his corrupt video player problem. Joe says it’s not his end, Ok then why are so many saying they’re having problems? It used to be only a problem on the homepage but now Joe seems to be imbedding this on every single article so it auto plays from one article to the next. I’m getting tired of having to pause the video on every page direct. I love the Tampa 2 but to hear the same segment over and over is brain numbing. 🙂

  17. Trench War Says:

    correction: embedding

  18. Dewey Selmon Says:

    PSL, I think I was the first to bring that up about Gene 3 years ago and got absolutely roasted for saying something about a Buccaneer icon. Doesn’t mean I don’t like the guy.

  19. FreeTheSecretWeapon Says:

    Think Harry Carrie and suddenly you realize you dont care if he is call the game correctly… Eventually you will see the High Lights and realize Gene made an otherwise boring play exciting!!!

    Till death do us part… Mean Gene is the reason Im a Bucs fean!!!

    Touchdown Tampa Bay!!! No, it was a lose of two Gene!!!

  20. Rod Munch Says:

    Take any team in the league, make them start Ryan Smith and Chris Conte, and see if you’re not going to be the worst defense in football.

    The answer is you won’t perhaps be the worse, but you’ll be bad. Check if you took our Brian Kelly and John Lynch and put in Smith and Conte even the Super Bowl defense would have been merely average instead of the best of all time (and they were the best of all time and the numbers prove it). Ryan Smith and Chris Conte are literally that bad, they can tank an entire defense. Why Licht has put the team in this position yet again is all on him.

    But who knows, maybe the two rookies will be outstanding and Conte will find himself on the bench and we’ll have Whitehead in there starting and then along with J Evans you’d have a very young and very cheap defensive backfield for the next 4 years. That’s best case scenario and it would alleviate all those fake news salary cap issues worries. So if that happens, then Licht goes from dummy to looking brilliant, and that’s what I’m hoping happens.

  21. I Bleed Pewter Says:

    I agree with Trench

  22. AlabamaBucsFan Says:

    @ Rod Munch – Take any team in the league, make them start Ryan Smith and Chris Conte, and see if you’re not going to be the worst defense in football.

    I am not a fan of Ryan Smith but Conte is not as bad as most people believe. I think conte is in the middle of pack with the safeties in this league. Part of the problem is the defense system they are running.

  23. denjoe Says:

    How stupid do they have to be to go into a season in which their jobs are on the line, with a 35 yr old corner and one who didn’t play well the season before and two rookies, without bring in quality depth? Reminds you of DE last year! I hope those rookies do well.

  24. Hurtin Pup Says:

    Best of luck to our rookies but how you don’t get someone, anyone that may help at cornerback knowing one is injury pron, old and the other average at best is beyond me. And I know it’s early and this is pessimistic but we just blew a 1st and 2nd round pick

  25. Rod Munch Says:

    AlabamaBucsFan – Football Outsiders, unlike PFF, have a really good setup for rating guys and they have Conte as by far the worst starting safety in football for like 3 years now, he’s on their all-decade worst of team. He’s awful. He blows coverage all the time, he gets huge PI calls when it matters most, and on top of that he’ll miss a key tackle. Sure, he can look confident for a game or two, but then he’ll single handedly lose you a game or two. He should be, at most, buried on the depth chart – or ideally he should be playing for another NFC South team so the Bucs could pick him apart.

    As for Ryan Smith, I know you’re not disagreeing with me on that, but just to restate the obvious, Football Outsiders has Smith as the 2nd worst corner in all of football. Not 2nd worst starter, no the second worst overall. I however think that’s fake news as I can not believe anyone is worse than Ryan Smith running around completely clueless on the field, even last week in the endzone the ball snaps and it certainly appeared to me Smith was confused on his coverage and ended up just standing still in the back of the endzone as the Saints got an easy TD. I don’t know the defense, perhaps it wasn’t his fault, but even if it wasn’t his fault he was still just standing still in the endzone being completely worthless, which is a good analogy for his entire career.

  26. BoJim Says:

    ‘PSLBob Says:
    his voice goes up 3 octaves ‘

    Like the legendary Keith Jackson?

    Interception!! He’s got an open field… The 40, the 30, the 20 he may go all the wa………FUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!l